60 seconds (prompt)
by dryccagoncalves
Summary: Marissa has 60 seconds to convince James, her super-hero husband, to let her die and save the entire city instead.


59 seconds remaining…

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"You know, for somebody that always deeply hated deadlines, this is an ironic way to die." I say; forcing myself to look at James' watery hazel eyes, instead of the blinking red clock. "I actually thought I had escaped them when I chose to be a teacher you know… we're usually the ones setting deadlines, not keeping them" I chuckle a little histerically, just hoping to see his smile one last time.

But of course it doesn't work. My bad joke only manages to make a lonely tear stream down his cheek. That hurts worse than the ache of wrists who have been twisted around the back of a chair for too long. James always at least laughs at how bad my attempts at joking are.

In fact, no matter how awful the circumstances, he is usually smiling; even if it is just with his eyes. Its annoying really. James can magically control anything digital with his mind, he has amazing ninja skills that no nerd should be entitled to and he makes the best guacamole known to mankind, but his optimism? That's his true super-power.

No matter how many villains come after "The Mainframe"- which is the worse hero name ever, I KNOW, but I wasn't a part of the naming process - or how many times they got close to discovering his secret identity. Actually, even when he insisted on spending the day following me in a wild hunt for bridesmaids dresses - a painful activity for a man that literally doesn't understand the difference between beige and white - his beautiful optimism never wavered.

I wish I had more time to learn it from him.

53 seconds remaining…

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Time, however, is a bitch worse than PMS and there is nothing to be done about it.

"1 year okay?" I whisper.

"What?" James comes out of his daze, eyes jumping wildly around the room. A desperate version of the look I only ever saw whenever he tried to solve a very hard puzzle.

"You get to mourn me for 1 year, no more. After that you have to promise me you'll move on James… And not a second before either; I don't think my ghost ego will be able to take that." I beg him. His eyes finally stop dead on mine, with a fierceness that is completely new to me. James is a lot of things, but serious is not one of them.

"You are not dying today!" his voice is unrecognizable, and that is what finally makes my eyes go misty with tears of hate.

Dying before my time is bad enough, but how DARE The Architect take the gentleness away from his voice? Away from me?

49 seconds remaining…

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James' glove covered hand inches towards the digital clock.

"NO!" my scream is so involuntary I even scare myself. "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK do you think you're doing JAMES?" the words echo inside the empty wear house. His hand stops in the air, but his gaze doesn't change.

"I'm taking you home." he answers in a dead, decisive tone he has never directed at me before.

"No, you're not!" A very distant part of my mind is amused the passion behind my words. He's usually the one to do that. "Did you just forget that if you disarm this clock the others go off? 12 other bombs around the city James! You need to leave!"

His eyes don't even move from mine to the wires that connect my body to the clock, and from the clock to the energy generator that will discharge and burn me from the inside out in…

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"I'm taking you HOME Marissa!" He said; ordinary words, behind his scalding tone. Hand shaking a little, but not moving from the space between us.

"12 bombs that the city can't survive James! Why are we even discussing this?" I reply a little louder.

"Because I don't CARE about the city!" with no warning, his hand is trying to remove his soft brown curls from his head as he turns his back on me; breathing heavy.

"Now, I HOPE that's not true, otherwise you just spent the last 10 years waisting your life trying to protect it." I tease him, trying to get him to turn and face me again.

But he doesn't. He keeps breathing and looking at the door. And I miss him; even this altered, desperate version of my husband is still my refuge. My home. And maybe it is better if he keeps looking away for a while. Maybe he will loose track of time and won't be able to save me in time. But I just can't-don't want to- do this alone. And I can't die without trying to console him first.

"The Architect wanted you to pick me James. She wanted to beat you even after she was dead. You can't out-think her honey, her plans always work. But you can choose not to let her break you. You CAN make the right choice." I say in a gentler voice, praying that God will grant me the wisdom to find the perfect words.

"How is this not breaking me Marissa?" he whispers, takes a deep breath and turns to me again. "How is letting you die in front of me the right choice?" the tears thickening his voice give my own eyes permission to release mine to roll down my cheeks.

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"Okay, so maybe break is not the right word." I say looking down at my lap for a second. But seconds are too precious to waste with silence. So I look up again. "But he doesn't get to erase you James!" a questioning look crosses his features.

"Maybe we are meant to be broken by life every once in a while. Maybe that's only another opportunity to grow and glue ourselves back together again… or update our form…" His mouth opens to reply but I silence him with a look. "My… death will break you darling, but when you glue yourself back together, you'll still be you." I stop to take control of my breathing.

Because when I say that, flashes of him flood my mind, making it all too clear what I am about to lose. I see his cheeky grin when he saw me walk down the aisle. I hear his roaring laughter at the crazy stories I tell him about my students. I see the fear he showed me when he finally told me who he really was. I remember our wedding night, almost 3 years ago, and yet so vivid and colorful in my brain that I have to banish away; otherwise, I might let The Architect erase me too. Taking a deep breath my body prepares itself for what I am about to say next:

"But if you end every life in our city my love… if you make me a part of mass murder just because you don't want to lose me… you will also let the man I married be erased, and she wins. AGAIN!" blistering anger at this entire situation makes every word a punch, and James takes a step back from the force of it, but still looks too uncertain so I push the final hit. "You are NOT a coward James Smith and I WILL leave you if you decide to be one!"

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His silence is deafening, and as I see the uncertainty play around with his expression I know this decision of mine is more selfish than it sounds. Deep down, as despicable as the destruction of a city is, what is keeping me firm is the unwavering fear that I might loose the love of my life forever. And grieve him, even if his heart still beats. I don't think I could ever forgive him for changing that much, or me, for not being able to convince him otherwise.

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A heart shattering sob finally breaks the damp stillness of the room and I get to watch James falling to his knees. Overtaken by emotional pain that his body can't remedy, his muscles give out and he has to brace himself, leaning on open palms connected to trembling arms, head bowed, shoulders slumped. I am once more divided, but now between disarming relief and mind-blowing regret. He won't do it, he won't save me.

I'm so thankful. I'm so scared.

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"One year, don't forget okay? I'll haunt you if you start getting over me any later, and I'll haunt your girlfriend if its any earlier okay?" my voice is not even trying to be funny anymore. I just want to talk to him. I wanna help him even knowing that I can't. "And its okay if you're angry, just give our wedding china to my mom before you start smashing down the house." Thinking of my mom makes my brain stop working. How could I do this to her? How is it that, letting myself be blown up, is the right thing to do if it will hurt my family so much?

One of the underrated features a good marriage provides is an almost mystical understanding of your partner's thoughts, and James has always been an expert on reading mine. So he raises up a hand and wipes his tears with the back of it. Then he sits back on his heels and directs his gaze at me.

"Your mom hated our wedding china darling." His face is still the definition of sadness. But his deep voice carries a faint undertone of his usual charm, and I thank God for this man He has given me. James grimaces a little as he gets up on his feet and walks towards me.

"I know, that's the point!" My mouth curls in what I hope is a devious grin.

"What if I don't want to suffer the rage of my mother-in-law over plates Mari?" he says with a playful voice, but his hand reaches my face lighter and softer than any cloud.

"I think the great Mainframe can take the rage of a short latina darling" I chuckle a little, looking deep into his eyes.

"I couldn't save you." He says, taking his eyes away from mine.

"Hey," I wait for him do bring his gaze back around to me "you can't save everybody James." My sad smile starts to match his. "And, like I told you, its okay if you're angry at me after this. Blame me if it will make it easier. I don't mind" I shrug, making the rope dig deeper around my infected wrists.

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"I do." He said, surprising my voice out of me. "I blame you for making me stop playing League Of Legends every Sunday, I blame you for making me get a life beyond a D&D character sheet. I blame you for introducing me to the world of romantic comedies," my laugh is genuine, if a little short. "I blame you for reminding me how damn good ice-cream can be and for saying yes to our first date." His voice started to break. "I blame you for looking so beautiful right before you have to leave for work and for making me laugh at your bad jokes. I blame you for being so supportive of my alter-ego, and I want you to know that any self-improvement I may have shown since we've met, is completely your fault." All the composure he was showing only seconds ago was shattered.

"James…" was all I could say before he silenced me with a finger above my lips.

"I hate you for making me so sure of how much I love you and I blame you for giving me something other than you to live for!" his hand tucked a curly strand of my dirty black hair behind my ear. "Because all I want right now is to pull a Romeo and die with you. In fact if I wasn't sure that you would hate, and probably send me to hell for that. I would." He lightly brushes my lips.

"But hating you is useless, so I'll promise you something instead." He kneels in front of me like he did the night he proposed.

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"I think we've done all the promising 3 years ago honey" I choke out, while he reaches behind my chair and pulls my engagement ring off my bound hand.

"Yes, but those vows are only binding till death do us part, and seeing as that is about to happen in less than 10 seconds I think we deserve some more." He raises the small ring right between us and takes a deep breath. "I promise to take exactly one year to start living again. No more no less" He smiles kindly at me.

"Thank you"

"I'm not done!" he replies, his smile turning more grin-like. "I also promise no to forget you. Ever. I promise to never stop loving you. Ever…"

"James…" I whisper in a half- hearted attempt of stopping him. But he doesn't even take notice.

"But most importantly, I promise, that no matter what I do -or who I am with- I will always do my best to be a man that you could love, and to not let anybody erase that guy!" he puts my engagement ring on his pinkie finger and kisses me deeply.

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After what I can only describe as the most infinite short kiss of all time, he pull his lips from mine and rests our foreheads against each other. Our breathing matches and I keep my eyes closed, as to not let the moment escape.

That is when it finally happens. My life flashes before my eyes. From my first bike fall to my first boyfriend. My parent's smile, my friends' birthday parties, the chocolate cake James and I had the morning after our wedding night… all my mistakes, all my failures and victories. Even the fantasies I had for a future that would never come.

But that was okay, because it was worth it. Somebody else would have that future because of us. And I wouldn't be forgotten by the one that mattered the most.

When the clock announced 3 seconds remaining, he had to get up and take a step back from me; to get away from the massive electric current we could hear gathering on the generator. I opened my eyes and I wasn't afraid. I wasn't alone. And he would be okay.

2 seconds remaining…

He would remember me.

1 seconds remaining…

He promised.

0 seconds remaining…

I smile, as the world turned white.


End file.
